What causes the human nose to run in response to smell?

Question

Certain chemical compounds attaching to receptors?

Essentially, is it more the strength of the odor/aroma or the specific type of odor?

Answer 1

The human nose technically does not "run" as a response to smells.
Research the sneeze instead. The fragrance molecules act as allergen. Remember that fragrance , tobacco smells, and dust have large molecules that appear invisible but can be picked up by the cilia in your nosetrils and nasal passage.
After the immediate attempt of your body to expunge your lungs of this noxious particles (manifested as a sneeze), the next body defense is to "wash" away the allergens, hence the "runny" nose.
What makes you allergic?
Perfumes with civet cat secretions , and other musk based fragrance. alcohol based mixtures of created florals, wood smells etc.
Tobacco smoke will make you cough but not make your nose runny unless you are choking because you cannot breathe. LOL

Answer 2

Specialized receptor cells of the olfactory epithelium detect and recognize smells.

Your nose is a huge cavity built to smell, moisten, and filter the air you breathe. When you breathe in, the tiny hairs, called cilia, act like a broom and filter everything trying to get into your nose; from dust particles to bugs.

The air passes through the nasal cavity and though a thick layer of mucous to the olfactory bulb. The smells are recognized here because each smell molecule fits into a nerve cell like a puzzle piece. The cells then send signals to the brain via the olfactory nerve. The brain then interprets those molecules as the sweet flowers, or the curdling milk that you've held up to your nose.

Humans can detect over 10,000 different smells. The olfactory nerve picks up the scents from the air you breathe and translate them into nerve impulses or messages that are then sent to the olfactory bulb located in the front of the brain.

Actually, how and why we smell is still inadequately known. There are many theories about the exact process of our sense of smell. Most believe that it is highly specialized processes in which molecular rings and receptors invite odorant-bringing proteins. It is a very complicate, intricately detailed, and mysteriously misunderstood system, our sense of smell.

Answer 3

u was born upside down - your nose runs and your feet smell

Answer 4

The same thing that causes my legs to run. THE SMELL!

Answer 5

So.. do you always have this much time on your hands or what?